Long Island official arrested

[Jimgolf]

Newsday's story begins:

A Westbury man who was supposed to referee at a Cold Spring Harbor High School basketball game last month has been arrested for endangering the welfare of a child, Suffolk police said. According to police, Andrew Marks, 44, of 338 Ivy Ave., was arrested after he asked a 15-year-old girl at the school inappropriate questions about her feet.

Full story at: http://www.newsday.com/sports/highsc...orts-headlines

[deecee]

we have a local official here who is off balance and IMHO should not be working around anyone under the age of 50. Hes says inapproriate things to teens and it is obvious that he is even flirting. He is well over 35 if not 40. Some assignors dont use him because they dont say it directly but everyone knows about it. I dont work with him and have him blacklisted and if I ever have a game with him I turn them back. The fact of the matter remains is that our job is borderline heaven for a pedophile and there isn't much that can be done about that. Unless they have been caught in the past there is nothing stopping them from continually working but I think that many conincedences do add up to something.

[Ref Daddy]

Originally Posted by deecee

we have a local official here who is off balance and IMHO should not be working around anyone under the age of 50. Hes says inapproriate things to teens and it is obvious that he is even flirting. He is well over 35 if not 40. Some assignors dont use him because they dont say it directly but everyone knows about it. I dont work with him and have him blacklisted and if I ever have a game with him I turn them back. The fact of the matter remains is that our job is borderline heaven for a pedophile and there isn't much that can be done about that. Unless they have been caught in the past there is nothing stopping them from continually working but I think that many conincedences do add up to something.

Our association - four years ago - initiated backgrounf checks on referee's looking for just such things as previous brush's with the law regarding children and minors.

Any other associations doing the same?

[Chess Ref]

Our local High school Association doesn't. But ASA softball is now.

We had a VB official get suspended for weird behavior, but they allowed him to do BB, but only boys.....Same Assignor for both sports....

I have heard plenty of conversations that I thought were over the line. I just skeedaddle to the other side of the court. IMHO some officials are Too friendly with the participants. Saturday saw a ref swat a boy on the a$$ telling him "Nice Hustle". I dunno bout that......

I help out with a Junior College Woman's tennis team and my friends always have comments but I pretty much let them know not to go there. I won't bore you with that particular spiel but I get my point across effectively....

[REFVA]

I know that this is a seriuos issue. with issue popping up all over the country. There hasn't been any statment from the officials side. This is why I get in do the game and get out not contact and no communication with anyone. Who knows what transpired prior to that event. The girl may have it in for the official for a game he did week prior or months prior. This is sad!!!

[Ignats75]

I wonder how long it is before some official is wrongly accused by a player as retribution for a perceived bad call that cost the player a win. A scary thought.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by Ignats75

I wonder how long it is before some official is wrongly accused by a player as retribution for a perceived bad call that cost the player a win. A scary thought.

So, you're envisioning this:

Me: Tweet. "Blue 21, that's a push."
Blue 21: "Hey, he raped me."

It's not impossible, of course, for unfounded accusations to be reported, but most reporters (and all prosecutors) are aware of their obligation to have some evidence beyond mere say-so. We have libel and slander laws in this country for a reason.

This one won't keep me up at night.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by Newsday

arrested after he asked a 15-year-old girl at the school inappropriate questions about her feet.

Excuse my naivity, but what h377 kind of question has to be formed to be inappropriate about feet? (I'm not saying the event didn't happen.)

If I don't want to know, that is fine with me.

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

Excuse my naivity, but what h377 kind of question has to be formed to be inappropriate about feet? (I'm not saying the event didn't happen.)

If I don't want to know, that is fine with me.

I was wondering the same thing -- and I came to the same conclusion as you: I don't want to know!

(PS. it's N-a-i-v-e-t-e)

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

Excuse my naivity, but what h377 kind of question has to be formed to be inappropriate about feet?

Well, did you know that the Hebrew Bible (aka Old Testament) uses 'feet' as a euphemism for genitalia?

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by mbyron

Well, did you know that the Hebrew Bible (aka Old Testament) uses 'feet' as a euphemism for genitalia?

Exodus 3:5
And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

Deuteronomy 2:28
Thou shalt sell me meat for money, that I may eat; and give me water for money, that I may drink: only I will pass through on my feet

2 Kings 13:21
And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.

Psalm 105:18
Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:

Isaiah 52:7
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by mbyron

Well, did you know that the Hebrew Bible (aka Old Testament) uses 'feet' as a euphemism for genitalia?

Ron Jeremy does too.....

[Scrapper1]

Originally Posted by mbyron

Well, did you know that the Hebrew Bible (aka Old Testament) uses 'feet' as a euphemism for genitalia?

No, I didn't. On the face of it, your statement seems ludicrous; but I'm willing to be proven wrong. (I'm guessing that there might be something in Song of Solomon.) Do you have any examples and/or commentary from an appropriate authority?

I have heard of such a thing as a foot fetish, although it seems pretty silly to me.

[Jimgolf]

Apparently, this guy had been previously arrested for similar behavior. From: http://www.newsday.com/news/local/lo...,3460819.story

"Yesterday, Marks' attorney, Amy Cobert Haber, confirmed that her client was arrested in May 2005 for similarly approaching young girls and asking them about their feet.
In one case, police allege that he went up to a girl walking her dog, took off her shoe and massaged her foot."

Many people have asked for background checks for coaches, officials, and others involved in youth sports, but it looks like an initial check upon hiring would not be enough.